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Swiss woman abducted again from her home in northern Mali

Beatrice Stockly was first abducted from her home in Timbuktu for the first time in April 2012 by Islamic group Ansar Diner, according to officials. With the help of officials from neighbouring Burkina Faso, she was rescued and advised not to stay in Mali, but returned a year after the abduction.

She was previously accused by the Islamic extremists of promoting Christianity and was warned that she would be executed if she tried to return to Timbuktu.

The latest incident took place on Thursday night. It is unclear who carried out the abduction as there was no immediate claim of responsibilty, but speculation is rife that Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb might be responsible.

The suspicion is largely because the group is active in desert areas north of the city and has a history of seizing foreigners and demanding ransoms.

Witnesses said Stockly’s door was found open on Friday morning. Footprints in the sand showed where the attackers had apparently climbed over the walls.

Security officials told newspaper agencies that two people have so far been arrested in connection to the kidnapping.

“There is no doubt that the perpetrators are jihadists,” said one security official.

A Pastor at the Evangelican Assembly of God in Timbuktu, Mohamed Ag Mossa Yattara said Stockly was careless and did not listen when advised not to come back to the area following her first abduction in 2012.

“She was careless , I ‘m not the only one saying this . It’s almost the entire city of Timbuktu saying that . She really has been unwise. And that is her problem – she does not want anyone’s advice.”

French forces drove Islamist fighters from major urban centers in 2013 but they have intensified their insurgency with a series of attacks and roadside bombings last year.